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Computational Approaches to Assess Flow Rate Efficiency During In Situ Recovery of Uranium: From Reactive Transport to Streamline- and Trajectory-Based Methods

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Publicado en:Minerals vol. 15, no. 8 (2025), p. 835-855
Autor principal: Maksat, Kurmanseiit
Otros Autores: Shayakhmetov Nurlan, Daniar, Aizhulov, Abdullayeva Banu, Tungatarova Madina
Publicado:
MDPI AG
Materias:
Kazakhstan
Sulfuric acid
Minerals
Reagents
Uranium
Flow rates
Efficiency
Kinetics
Mathematical models
Software utilities
Recovery
Complex systems
Streamlines
Mineralogy
In situ leaching
Computer applications
Sulphuric acid
Heterogeneity
Geology
Expenditures
Accuracy
Partial differential equations
Overflow
Computing costs
Differential equations
Flow velocity
Leaching
Acceso en línea:Citation/Abstract
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Resumen:This study presents a comprehensive computational analysis of flow rate efficiency during uranium extraction via the In Situ Recovery method. Using field data from a deposit located in Southern Kazakhstan, a series of mathematical models were developed to evaluate the distribution and balance of leaching solution. A reactive transport model incorporating uranium dissolution kinetics and acid–rock interactions were utilized to assess the accuracy of both traditional and proposed methods. The results reveal a significant spatial imbalance in sulfuric acid distribution, with up to 239.1 tons of acid migrating beyond the block boundaries. To reduce computational demands while maintaining predictive accuracy, two alternative methods, a streamline-based and a trajectory-based approach were proposed and verified. The streamline method showed close agreement with reactive transport modeling and was able to effectively identify the presence of intra-block reagent imbalance. The trajectory-based method provided detailed insight into flow dynamics but tended to overestimate acid overflow outside the block. Both alternative methods outperformed the conventional approach in terms of accuracy by accounting for geological heterogeneity and well spacing. The proposed methods have significantly lower computational costs, as they do not require solving complex systems of partial differential equations involved in reactive transport simulations. The proposed approaches can be used to analyze the efficiency of mineral In Situ Recovery at both the design and operational stages, as well as to determine optimal production regimes for reducing economic expenditures in a timely manner.
ISSN:2075-163X
DOI:10.3390/min15080835
Fuente:ABI/INFORM Global